Seal



I Y L l i-5,330 J. w. LESLIE.

SEAL.

FILED AUG. 2. 1921.

Patented Feb. 13, 1923.

Lana

' barren-stares earner @FFHCE- JOHN W. LESLIE, OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SIGNODE SYSTEM, INC., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

SEAL.

Application filed August'2, 1921.

which the following is a full, clear, concise,

and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in seals. and is particularly concerned with the provision of a. metallic seal for securing together overlapping portions of straps used as bails for boxes, bales and other packages.

The objects of my invention are First: To provide a seal of the character described, which can be snapped over overlapping strap portions by a single movement. thereby facilitating and shortening the time of making a sealed joint connecting the two strap port-ions;

Second To provide a seal of the character described, which is adapted to be secured to the overlapping portions of the strap by aplurality of crimps. the seal being constructed so that the formation of one crimp does not in any way distort theremainder of the seal, or displace it in its position upon the overlapping portions yet to be crimped. and so that asubsequent crimp will not in any way weaken the joint formed by apreceding crimp.

Third: To provide a seal ofthe character described, which is simple in construction, and economical to manufacture.

Other objects will appear as this description progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view, showing my improved seal applied. to overlapping strap portions;

Figure 2 is a side elevatlon;

Figures 3 and 4 are transverse sections taken substantially on line 3-3 of Figure 2, the first of these sections shpwing my im proved seal in the initialposltion which it assumes justbefore it is snapped overthe so overlapping" strap portions, and Figure 4 showing it in its snapped overposition:

Figure 5 is a side elevation showing the joint formed by my seal after one crimp has Serial No. 489,387.

been made in the seal and overlapping strap portions;

Figure 6 is a bottom view of the joint shown in Figure 5, and

Figure 7 is a plan view of the completed joint.

Throughout the several figures, similar reference characters will be used for referring to similar parts.

My improved seal comprises a more or less rectangular back member 10, the two parallel edges 11 of which are each provided with a wing extension 12, which. is first curved back over the inner side of the back member, as shown in Figs. ;3 and 4. to provide a groove 13, and then bent outwardly as shown at 14 to provide a camming surface 15.

In applying the strap to a package, a tool is usually employed for tightening the strap about the package, and thistool usually holds the two overlapping strap portions 16 and 17 slightly spaced from the surface of the package so as to permit the seal to be applied to the overlapping strap portions in the position shown in Fig. 3. The operator, by substantially a. single movement. applies the seal as shown in this figure, and by pushing downwardly upon the back member'lO-with the thumb causes the camming surface 15 ofzthe wing extension 12 to engage the edges of the straps. thereby springing the wingextension slightly outwardly,'.and permit-ting. it to snap over the strap to the position shown in Fig. 4.

After the seal has been positioned upon 1 the strap as shown in Fig. 4. I prefer to secure it to the overlapping strap portions and to form 'a sealed joint by forming a plurality of crimps in the seal and overlapping strap portions similar to that disclosed in United States patent to Flora. 1.252.680. of January 8. 1918. I have found that in a single seal adapted to have a plurality of spaced crimps formed therein. as shown in Fig. 7 the formation-of one crimp tends l.

to spread apart the lateral wings of the seal in adjacent uncrimped portions. allowing the overlapping strap portions to slip out from their retaining grooves so that it often becomes necessary manually to reposition the wings of the seal over the strap in order that a perfect joint may be formed which will not break the metal of the seal in the crimping operation.

I have also found that with the same type of seal thestrength of the joint does not increase in the same ratio as the number of crimps, apparently because the formation of one crimp tends somewhat to open the previously formed crimp. 3

I have discovered that both of these tendencies can be practicallyentirely obviated by cutting a notch 18 through each of the wing extensions, the notch extending from the free edge of the wing: extension through the edge of the back member as shownin Figures 1,

3 and 5.' ,T his notch separates the wing exmy invention is not limited to these details of construction, except by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is: p

1. A seal forconnecting overlapping strap portions comprising a rectangular back member having two parallel edges each provided with a wing extension which is first curved back over the back member to, form a groove, and then bent outwardly at an angle to the plane of said back member to form a camming surface.

2. A seal for connecting overlapping strap portions comprising a back member having two parallel edges, one of which is provided with a wing extension curved back over said back member to form a groove for receiving one edge of the overlapped strap portions,

and the other parallel edge of which is curved back over the same side of said back member to form a groove for receiving the opposite edge of said strap portions, the distance between the outer edges of said curved portionbeing less than the width of said straps, one of said curved portions having an outwardly inclined portion forming a camming surface for co-acting with one edge of said straps for separating the outer edges one edge of the overlapped strap portions, and the other parallel edge of which is curved back over the same side of said back member to form a groove for receiving the opposite edge of said strap portions, one of said curved portions having an outwardly inclined portion forming a camming surface for co-acting with one edge of said straps for separating the outer edges of said wings when said seal is snapped over said overlapping strap portions. I 4. A' seal for connecting overlapping strap portions comprising a back member having parallel edges provided with wing extensions curved back over said back member and then diverging outwardly. A v

- 5. A seal for connecting overlapping strap portions comprising a back member having parallel edges and wings extending from said edges, the said wings each having a notch intermediate its ends extending from its free edge inwardly towards said back member thereby dividing each of said wings into two separate parts.

6. A seal for joining the overlapped strap portions comprising a substantially flat rectangular back member having at its opposite edges flexible flanges which are curved inwardly towards each other and then reversely curved outwardly away from each other, saidflanges at their points of nearest approach being separated a distance less than the width of the straps, the seal being adapted to be positioned about the strapsby flexin one or the other of said flanges away from the other fianger ln'witness whereof, Ihercunto subscribe my name, this 13th day of July, 1921.

JOHN W. LESLIE.

Witnesses:

EDNA V. GUSTAFSON, OLIVER H. PARM LEE, 

